Summary
- STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl has been delayed from September 5 to November 20.
- This is the fourth postponement that STALKER 2 suffered since 2022.
- Developer GSC assured fans that the wait for the game will be worth it, adding that it will share a detailed gameplay deep dive into STALKER 2 on August 12.
Xbox Series X/S console exclusive STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl has suffered yet another delay, having been pushed back to November 20, 2024. This development marks STALKER 2's fourth delay since 2022.
The much anticipated fourth entry in the FPS-RPG series was originally meant to hit the market in April 2022. The project was then pushed back to 2023 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which forced developer GSC Game World to relocate to Prague, Czech Republic. Come August 2023, the studio delayed STALKER 2 to Q1 2024. Five months later, GSC announced the project's third major postponement, but also committed to another firm release date: September 5.
STALKER 2's Long Journey to Launch Explained
STALKER 2 was originally slated for a 2012 release date, but a slew of problems have pushed that release date back over a decade.
STALKER 2 Announces 4th Delay With Self-Aware Video
That time frame has now been amended yet again, with GSC announcing that STALKER 2 will miss its September 5 release date target by another two and a half months. The game is now targeting a November 20 launch. The delay was announced in a self-aware video titled "Really, Again?," which sees one of the game's characters communicate this unfortunate turn of events to the clearly annoyed protagonist via a radio call.
GSC Promises Fans STALKER 2 Wait Will Be Worth It
GSC cited the need to keep working on refining the game as the main reason behind this newly communicated delay. "We know you might be tired of waiting, and we truly appreciate your patience," a company representative said in a prepared statement, adding that the extra two months will give the studio a chance to fix additional bugs and ultimately deliver a more polished experience. GSC also promised fans that the wait will be worth it, not least because STALKER 2 "is shaping up to be everything [it had originally] envisioned."
We know you might be tired of waiting, and we truly appreciate your patience.
STALKER 2's Delay Weakens Xbox Game Pass September 2024 Lineup
The game's delay serves as a major hit to the Xbox Game Pass September 2024 lineup. With STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl now being pushed back to fall, Microsoft's subscription service has dropped to five confirmed day-one releases for September. The first of those will arrive in the form of Monster and Monster's transportation sim Star Trucker, which is scheduled to debut on September 3. Age of Mythology: Retold is planned to arrive a day later, followed by post-apocalyptic city builder Frostpunk 2 on September 20. Civilization rival Ara: History Untold will then reach Microsoft's subscription catalog on September 24.
STALKER 2 Preview Coming In August 2024
As for GSC's upcoming title, fans can expect to see more of it in the coming weeks. Specifically, the studio confirmed that another STALKER 2 preview delving into its gameplay and mechanics is scheduled for August 12. The "developer deep dive" video will be published on the official Xbox YouTube channel.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
- Released
- November 20, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
Chornobyl Exclusion Zone has changed dramatically after the second massive explosion in the year 2006. Violent mutants, deadly anomalies, and warring factions have made the Zone a very tough place to survive.
Nevertheless, artifacts of unbelievable value attracted many people called S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s, who entered the Zone for their own risk, striving to make a fortune out of it or even to find the Truth concealed in the Heart of Chornobyl.
EPIC NONLINEAR STORY IN SEAMLESS OPEN WORLD
Take over a role of the lone stalker and explore photorealistic seamless open world in a 64-km² radioactive zone with a variety of environments that reveal post-apocalyptic atmosphere from different angles. Make your way through the Zone to define your destiny as you choose your paths within highly branching epic story.
VARIETY OF ENEMIES AND HUNDREDS OF WEAPON COMBINATIONS
Meet members of different factions deciding who of them worth your friendship and who deserve a bullet. Engage intense gunfights with a variety of enemies that follow different tactics trying to outsmart you. Choose your preferable firearms from 30+ types of weapons with numerous modifications that allow creating hundreds of distinctive lethal combinations.
LEGENDARY MUTANTS WITH DIFFERENT BEHAVIOUR MODELS
Prepare to encounter horrifying mutated creatures that will try to slaughter you following different behaviour model. Each mutant may appear in different subtypes which makes their behaviour less predictible. Truly extreme danger represent regions with lairs with numerous mutants hunting in large groups.
ARTIFACTS OF INCREDIBLE VALUE AND UNFORGIVING ANOMALIES
The most valuable artifacts and secrets of the Zone are hidden in the most dangerous places. Beware of the hazardous anomalies and unique devastating arch-anomalies as you hunt for highly valuable artifacts scattered around the Zone. Will you dare to unveil the mysteries of the Zone that took lives of many others before you?
GOOD HUNTING, STALKER!
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Developer(s)
- GSC Game World
- Publisher(s)
- GSC Game World
- Franchise
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter, Open-World, Post-Apocalyptic, Survival
